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Nintendo’s new console hits store shelves on Sunday and, unlike its monstrously well-selling predecessor, the Wii, it’s harder to explain what’s new this time around.

The Wii — in scarce supply through two holiday seasons — ushered in the era of motion control gaming. While its legacy could charitably be called a mixed bag, the Wii resulted in one of the biggest gaming crazes of the past decade, spurring competitors to create their own motion control peripherals such as the Xbox Kinect and PlayStation Move.

The Wii U, with prices starting at $300, offers a new controller with an integrated second screen, called the GamePad, as it makes a bid to become a living room hub. The new console also helps Nintendo play catch-up to its competitors, as the Wii had less horsepower and lower quality graphics than the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3.

“The playing field is even now, as far as HD graphics go. The surprise that’s going to happen for gamers is what the integrated second screen allows you to do in real time,” says Matt Ryan, communications manager at Nintendo of Canada. “The experience is going to be new because there’s a new toy in the toy box.”

While the GamePad controller looks like a tablet and shares some of that functionality, such as being able to surf the web, it really isn’t one. It only works within the vicinity of the console. In terms of gameplay, the controller has been used in many different ways, providing maps, inventory and other information traditionally buried beneath videogame menus.

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The second screen also adds levels of more active play, for example, in the new game ZombiU from Ubisoft, where one segment sees an undead chase lead to a locked door. This prompts a keypad lock to appear on the GamePad screen: a puzzle mini-game to fumble with as the brains-eating baddies tear the player asunder on the main screen.

It also allows for asymmetric gameplay, where one player watches the GamePad screen while the other players see something different on the TV. Nintendo Land, the amusement park-themed game packaged with the deluxe bundle of the console, offers a version of tag called Mario Chase, where one person plays as Mario on the GamePad while the others try to chase him down on the big screen.

How well games inform players as to what screens require their attention will likely be the deciding factor in whether the Wii U’s new controller is a gimmick or a real innovation. Gamers will have a good chance to see it in action right away, as there will be 23 games available at launch.

Another improvement from the Wii is that third party developers are getting on board, with games like Batman: Arkham City and Assassin’s Creed III slated for release for the console.

The Wii U also offers TV functionality, with one of its initial selling points being the ability to transfer gaming from big to small screen, allowing others to watch their favourite shows without disrupting a marathon gaming session. But the launch of the console’s Nintendo TVii platform — which allows users to navigate their Netflix and cable offerings, and get information on what they’re watching — could also turn it into a new remote and, potentially, the living room’s TV and Internet hub. Initial reviews from American tech blogs have raved over the ease of use for the TV set-up.

“Nintendo TVii is also going to be offering entertainment, like video, TV, cable satellite and VOD (video on demand), but it’s not just a filter, you can actually interact with your programming, like sharing your interaction through your social channels,” says Ryan. “There’s more information coming on that, but in Canada, we can confirm your cable and satellite can be streamed through your Wii U, your Netflix can be controlled in HD and that’s just the beginning. We’re working with cable providers here, and we know there’s no Hulu here, but there’s plenty of content out there.”

Competitors are already striving to match the second-screen experience. Microsoft has launched SmartGlass for the Xbox 360, which allows people to control their console with an app and their existing smartphone or tablet. It’s already been integrated with games such as Halo 4 and Forza Horizon.

The biggest challenge for the Wii U is whether gamers will get it. The new console clears up some of the perennial knocks on the Wii, offering HD graphics and third-party games that help shed Nintendo’s kiddie image. It also provides the company with a new outlet for their huge stable of characters. But there’s been confusion around the new offering, with some people mistaking it for an add-on or extension of the Wii — further complicated, perhaps, by the fact that some games will use the old Wii Remotes.

“From a consumer perspective or a gamer perspective, the Nintendo fans are on board and get it. It’s the others that don’t . . . which is why experiential marketing, sampling and getting the product into people’s hands is very important,” says Ryan.

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